Decoding device for statistical machines



April 13, 1954 J. PERRIN DECODING DEVICE FOR STATISTICAL MACHINES 4Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec.

Inventor JOHN PEQP/N Attorney 7 April 13,

Filed Dec.

J. PERRIN DECODING DEVICE FOR STATISTICAL MACHINES 4 Sheets-Sheet 2Inventor JOHN Pike/N B M 415x44 Attorney April 13, 1951 J. PERRIN2,675,176

' DECODING DEVICE FOR STATISTICAL MACHINES Filed Dec. 14. 1950 32Inventor \W Jab, Page,

Attorney 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 I April 13, 1954 J. PERRIN 2,675,176

DECODING DEVICE FOR STATISTICAL MACHINES Filed Dec. 14, 1950 4Sheets-Sheet 4 M W NW W n 0 MM n A 7 2 a 8 a r a w Q V Q W L Y 5 1 7/!!!0 o w/r/ I/ll I/HI I! J y l lmu lllhll B I II II I li ll M FF 4 Fa I fmJ i l 3759. V///// E A? \li I I II I Q i w \III v1 1 Patented Apr. 13,1954 UNITED STATES i ATENT OFFICE DECODING DEVICE FOR STATISTICALMACHINES Application December 14, 1950, Serial No. 200,749

Claims priority, application Great Britain January 9, 1950 6 Claims. 1

This invention relates to statistical machines.

In some kinds of statistical machine some functions of the machine areeffected by the use of numbers transmitted to a particular part of themachine in code form. With such machines, when it is also desired toemploy in a further part of the machine numbers according to theirordinary significance it is necessary to decode the numbers before useis made thereof in such further part of the machine. One form ofstatistical machine of this kind is a multiplying machine in which amultiplicand and, a multi plier are sensed from a record and transmittedto a calculating apparatus which in turn transmits the answer to theproblem to a punch unit adapted to punch the answer in a result field ofthe record from which the multiplicand and the multiplier are sensed. Insuch a machine the multiplicand and the multiplier may be sensed fromthe record as numbers according to their ordinary significance thesenumbers being translated into a predetermined code before beingtransmitted to the calculating apparatus. Accordingly, the answertransmitted by the cal culating apparatus is also in code and before itcan be punched in the result field of the rec- 0rd in terms of numbersof ordinary significance,

the answer must be decoded. It is an object or the present invention toprovide a decoding device for use with statistical machines.

According to the invention there is provided for a statistical machine,a decoding device wherein a selected one of a column of translatorelements each representative of an uncoded number of ordinarysignificance is movable lengthwise to impart an impulse to a device tobe actuated thereby, the selection of an element of the column beingefiected by a plurality of decoding bars normally obstructing themovement of the translator elements, each bar being provided with guidesone to correspond with each of the translator elements of the column,the guides on the diiferent decoding bars being so spaced relatively oneto another that when the bars are in their normal positions no set ofguides representative of like uncoded numbers are in alignment to permitthe passage through the bars of the translator element representative ofthat number but on movement of a selected one or the bars or or aselected combination thereof from the normal position to a predeterminedactive position the guides representative of like uncoded numbers oneach of the bars are brought into alignment to permit the passagetherethrough of the translator element representative of that number.

In one embodiment according to the invention the translator elements aresupported by a reciprocable frame for movement relative to the decodingbars, the translator elements being mounted on the frame for movementrelative thereto to permit continued movement of the frame relative tothe decoding bars when translator elements are obstructed by thedecoding bars and thereby prevented from passing therethrough. With thisarrangement each translator element is provided with a projectionengageable by a shutter pivoted to the frame and rotatable about itspivot on downward movement of the frame by engagement of obstructedtranslator elements with one end of the shutter whereby the other end ofthe shutter is moved into active engagement with the projection on theselected translator element thereby positively to move the selectedtranslator element through the associated aligned guides in the decodingbars.

A decoding bar may be moved from its normal to its active position by animpulse applied to one end or" the bar and a latch arranged to retainthe bar in its active position. The means to receive and apply animpulse to the decoding bar may comprise an electro-magnet the armatureof which is connected to the bar.

In one embodiment or" the invention the decoding apparatus is adaptedfor operation according to a four-figure code known as the 8-=i-2l codeand when so constructed the device has four decoding bars associatedwith a column of translator elements, the decoding bars beingrespectively representative of the code numbers 8, 4, 2, 1 wherebynumbers transmitted to the decoding device in accordance with the8-i-2-l code are decoded into impulses representative of numbersaccording to their ordinary significance, the impulses being imparted bythe translator elements.

A decoding device according to the invention may be provided incombination with a punch mechanism which includes punches, a set barunit and transmission elements to set the set bars of the set bar unit,the transmission elements being arranged for actuation by impulsesimparted thereto by the translator elements when the latter are movedthrough the decoding bars.

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood oneembodiment will now be described, by way of example, with reference tothe accompanying diagrammatic drawings in which:

Figures 1A and 1B together are an elevation, partly in section, of asensing and punching mechanism, a decoding device according to theinvention being shown in combination with the punching mechanism,

Figure 2 is a section to an enlarged scale on line II-II, Figure 1B,

Figure 3 shows, in side elevation and top plan, the arrangement ofdecoding bars employed in conjunction with the punch mechanism, thedecoding bars being shown in th ir normal or in active positions, and

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic perspective view showing the manner in whichdecoding bars are operated to permit the translation of coded numoralsto numerals of ordinary significance.

Referring to the drawings, the machine shown in Figures 1A and 1B isarranged for association with an electrical calculating machine, notshown,

adapted to receive, for example, a multiplicand and a multiplier sensedfrom a record card, to effect the calculation, and to transmit theanswer obtained to the decoding mechanism associated with the punch unitof the machine.

Punched record cards are fed one at a time from a magazine into asensing chamber 2| mounted in known manner for reciprocation towards andaway from sensing pins 22 which sense the factors for the calculationand transmit them to a coding mechanism indicated diagrammatically at23. When the factors have been coded by the coding mechanism 23 they aretransmitted as electrical impulses to the calculating machine and theanswers obtained by the calculating machine are transmitted aselectrical impulses to the decoding unit associated with the punchmechanism for the machine. The electrical impulses transmitted from thecalculating machine are received by electro-magnets 24, 25, 26 and 21representative respectively of the code numbers 8, 4, 2, 1 according tothe four-figure cod known as the 8-4-2-1 code.

As is well understood in the art, the punches for punching the answer inthe result field of a record are arranged in columns, one column foreach denomination, and the mechanism associated with each column is ofsimilar construction. It is, therefore, only necessary to theunderstanding of the invention to describ the arrangement of themechanism for an individual column and in Figures 1A and 113 one suchcolumn is illustrated.

The armatures 28 of the electro-magnets are connected respectively tothe ends of the decoding bars 29, 30, 3| and 32 by pins 33 located inslots 34 formed in the ends of the decoding bars. The decoding bars aresupported for lengthwise movement in fixed brackets 35 and each decodingbar is movable lengthwise by its associated electro-magnet to the samepredetermined extent.

When an electrical impulse is received by an electro-magnet the decodingbar associated therewith is moved thereby to the right, as viewed inFigure 13, until a notch 36 is engaged by a 4 latch 31 pivoted at 38 tobrackets 39 secured to machine frames 40. Springs 4| urge the latchesdownward into engagement with their notches 36.

The four decoding bars 29, 30, 3| and 32 are aligned one above the otherand when in their normal or inactive positions, as shown in Figure 1B,ar so disposed as to prevent the downward movement of each of thetranslator elements 42 of a column as shown in Figure 113. Each of thetranslator elements 42 is representative of an uncoded number ofordinary significance from 1 to 11, as indicated in the drawings, andthe decoding bars are provided with guides formed as slots 43, seeFigures 3 and 4.

As can be seen from Figure 3 each of the decoding bars is provided witheleven slots 4-3, each slot being representative of a number of ordinarysignificance as represented by a corresponding one of the translatorelements. The slots 43 are so arranged on the respective decoding bars29, 30, 3| and 32 that when the decoding bars are in the normal orinactive position, as shown in Figure 18, no fourslots representative oflike numbers are in alignment with each other and therefore it is notpossible for any one of the translator elements to be moved downwardsthrough the translator bars.

The slots 43 on the respective decoding bars are, however, so disposedwith relation one to the other that when one of the bars, or acombination of the bars of a column, is moved to its latched position asabove described, the decoding bars are so disposed with relation one tothe other that the slots in each bar representative of a particularnumber are disposed to be in alignment with each other and it is thenpossible for the translator element 42 representative of that number topass through the aligned slots and to impart an impulse to a device tobe actuated thereby.

In the machine being described, the device to be actuated by thetranslator elements is a punch unit and the impulses transmitted by thetranslator elements are received by rigid connection wires 44 which inturn transmit the impulses received to selector pins 45. These pins 45in turn transmit the impulses received to set bars 46 forming part of aset bar unit S. B. U. of known construction.

The translator elements 42 are supported by a movable frame 41 which isreciprocated towards and away from the punch unit by a cam, not shown,on the main shaft 48 of the machine. The translator elements 42 areurged downwards by springs 49 acting on pins 50 each pin being providedwith a head to engage against a shoulder at the upper end of itsassociated translator element.

Each translator element is provided with a projection 5| and each columnof translator elements has associated therewith a shutter plate 52pivoted at 53 to side plates 54 fixed to the moving frame 41. A spring55 urges the shutter in a counter-clockwise direction, as viewed inFigure 2, about its pivot and into engagement with a stop pin 56. I

On downward movement of the frame 41 the shutters move with the frameand those translator elements which are prevented from movement by beingobstructed by the decoding lbars engage the upper overhanging portion 51of the shutter thereby moving the shutter clockwise, as viewed in Figure2, about its pivot so that the lower end 58 of the shutter is movedinwards towards the column of translator elements 42. By the time thelower end 58 of the shutter completes its inward movement it has passedbeneath the projections 5! on the translator elements whose movement isobstructed by the decoding bars but it still maintains its relation withthe selected translator element which is free to move between alignedguides in the decoding ears. Accordingly, on completion of the inwardmovement of the lower end 58 or the shutter, the portion 53 is movedinto active engagement with the projection 5! on the selected translatorelement so that the selected translator element is moved downwardspositively together with the frame 41 and passes through the alignedguides in the decoding bars. The extent of downward movement of theselected translator element is such that it is moved into engagementwith the upper end of the rigid connection wire 44 associated therewiththereby imparting an impulse to the connection wire which, as statedabove, is in turn transmitted to the appropriate set bar 45.

The decoding bar or bars which is or are in the active, latched,position or are retained in latched position until after the frame M hasbeen restored to its starting position together with the translatorelements '22, whereupon a restoring plate 59 is operated to permit theactive decoding bars to be returned to normal position. The restoringplate 59 is provided with slots 50, one for each of the latches 31, andis reciprocated by a lever 61 driven from a cam, not shown, mounted onthe main shaft 55 ofthe machine. On downward movement of the restoringplate 59 the latches 37 are tripped out of the notches 36 in which theyare located thus permitting the active decoding bars to be returned totheir normal inactive position under the influence of springs 62associated with the electro-magnets When the set bar unit has beenconditioned, the card chamber 63, which now contains the record cardfrom which the factors for the calculation were sensed, is raisedupwards in known manner together with the punches 64 whereby thosepunches which are engaged by conditioned set bars 46 in the set bar unitare pushed i through the record card in the card chamber therebypunching the answer transmitted from the calculating apparatus in theresult field of the record card. The card chamber 63 is then lower andthe card is fed out of the chamber by rollers 65 and delivered into areceiver 65.

Should it be desired to employ the decoding device for decoding answersin sterling an additional decoding bar 61, Figure 2, is provided in aselected column and has one end connected by an arm 68 to an additionalelectro-magnet 69, Fig. 1B. The electro-magnet 69 receives electricalimpulses from the calculating apparatus representative of tens ofshillings and a selected one of the translator eiements is provided witha projection 16 to co-operate with a guide slot in the additionaldecoding bar 8?. Thus if the arrangement shown in Figure 2 is to beemployed for decoding sterling amounts it may be assumed that the twotranslator elements at the extreme right oi"- the figure representdecimal fractions of a penny, the third translator element from theright represents pence, the fourth element represents shillings, and theremaining two translator elements represent respectively the units ofpounds and tens of pounds. It will, of course, be appreciated thatfurther columns of translator elements and decoding bars may be providedif it is desired to extend the scope of the apparatus.

To explain the operation of the decoding device and its application to apunch unit it will be assumed that the punch unit contains sixdenominational columns. Accordingly six sets of decoding mechanism areemployed, as indicated in Figure 2. Further, as the code employed is thefour-figure 8-4-2-1 code, the numbers 1 to 11 of ordinary significanceare represented in code as follows:

The code equivalent of 1 is l The code equivalent of 2 is 2 The codeequivalent of 3 is 12 The code equivalent of 4 is 4 The code equivalentof 5 is 14 The code equivalent of 6 is 2-4 The code equivalent of 7 is1-24 The code equivalent of 8 is 8 The code equivalent of 9 is 1-8 Thecode equivalent of 10 is 2-8 The code equivalent of 11 is 1-2-8 Let itnow be assumed that the calculating apparatus has transmitted to thedecoding unit an answer which, when decoded, will represent the number450072. Accordingly in the units column, which in Figure 2 may beconsidered as the column at the extreme right of the figure, only theelectro-magnet 25 will be energised so that only the decoding bar 3iwill be moved to its active, latched position. In this position theguide 43 representative of the number 2 will be moved into alignmentwith the grooves representative of the number 2 in the bars 2%, 30 and32 so that when the frame ll is moved downwards, the units translatorelement representative of the number 2 will be free to pass through thealigned guides while each of the other units column translator elementswill be arrested by the decoding bars for that column.

In the tens column which is the second column from the right in Figure 2a "7 is to be registered and accordingly the electro-magnets 25, 23 and21 for that column are energised so that the three decoding bars 30, 3!and 32 are moved to latched position to bring the guides 43 thereonrepresentative of the number "7 into alignment with the guide 43representative of the number 7 in the decoding bar 35 which is notmoved.

In the hundreds column and in the thousands column of the answer thereare zeros and accordingly in the decoding device no electro-magnets areenergised in the corresponding columns so that none of the decoding barsfor these two columns are moved to active, latched position and ondownward movement of the frame 5? none or" the translator elementsassociated with these two columns is permitted to move downwards totransmit an impulse to the punch unit.

In the tens of thousands column a 5 is to be translated from its codedrepresentation and a" cordingly the two electro-magnets 25 and 27 areenergised, moving the two decoding bars es and 32 to the active, latchedposition so that the guide slots representative of the number 5 on thesetwo bars are moved into alignment with the corresponding guide slots inthe decoding bars 29 and 3| which are not moved.

In the hundreds of thousands column a coded "4 is to be decoded andaccordingly only the electro-magnet 25 is energised. This causes thedecoding bar 3|) to be moved to active, latched posi tion at which theguide slot representative of the number 4 on the bar 30 is moved intoalignment with the corresponding guide slots on the bars 29, 3| and 32which bars have not been moved.

From the foregoing it will be understood that when the frame 41 is moveddownwards only four translator elements are free to move downwards,these four translator elements representing re spectively a 2 in theunits column, a "7 in the tens column, a 5 in the tens of thousandscolumn, and a 4 in the hundreds of thousands column. Thus in the resultfield of the card there will be punched holes representative of thesenumbers, it being understood that as zeros appear in the hundreds andthousands columns no holes will be punched in these columns as is theusual practice.

It is to be understood that although in the' foregoing the invention hasbeen described as applied to a decoding device adapted to decode numberstransmitted thereto in terms of the 8-4-2-1 code, if desired the devicemay be so constructed as to operate according to other codes.

It will also be understood that the impulses transmitted by thetranslator elements need not necessarily be employed to operate a punchunit as described herein as they may, for example, be employed tocondition type elements to facilitate the printing of an answer insteadof the punching thereof as has been described herein. Alternatively, aswill be well understood in the art,

a decoding device according to the present invention may be applied to asorting machine in which records to be sorted according to numbers ofordinary significance are provided with coded indicia. In this instancethe sensing device of the machine will transmit the sensed coded datadirect to the decoding device described herein and the translators 42will impart impulses to the timing devices controlling the shuttersassociated with the record receiving pockets of the machine so that therecords are delivered to the pockets in accordance with the ordinarysignificance of the decoded data.

I claim:

1. For a statistical machine, a decoding device wherein a selected oneof a column of translator elements each representative of an uncodednumber of ordinary significance is movable lengthwise to impart animpulse to a device to be actuated thereby, the selection of an elementof the column being effected by a plurality of decoding bars normallyobstructing the movement of the translator elements, each bar beingprovided with guides one to correspond with each of the translatorelements of the column, the guides on the different decoding bars beingso spaced relatively one to another that when the bars are in theirnormal positions no set of guides representative of like uncoded numbersare in alignment to permit the passage through the bars of thetranslator element representative of that number but on movement of aselected one of the bars or of a selected combination thereof from thenormal position to a predetermined active position the guidesrepresentative of like uncoded numbers on each of the bars are broughtinto alignment to permit the passage therethrough of the translatorclement representative of that number, and a reciprocable frameyieldably supporting said elements for positively advancing a releasedelement relative to the decoding bars.

2. A decoding device according to claim 1, wherein the translatorelements are supported by a reciprocable frame for movement relative tothe decoding bars, the translator elements being mounted on the framefor movement relative thereto to permit continued movement of the framerelative to the decoding bars when translator elements are obstructed bythe decoding bars and thereby prevented from passing therethrough.

3. A decoding device according to claim 2, wherein each translatorelement is provided with a projection engageable by a shutter pivoted tothe frame and rotatable about its pivot on downward movement of theframe by engagement of obstructed translator elements with one end ofthe shutter whereby the other end of the shutter is moved into activeengagement with the projection on a selected translator element therebypositively to move the selected translator element through associatedaligned guides in the decoding bars.

4. A decoding device according to claim 1 adapted for decoding sterlingamounts, wherein a column of translator elements has associatedtherewith an additional decoding bar representative of tens ofshillings, the additional bar being actuated by an impulse specificthereto and a predetermined one of the translator elements beingarranged for co-operation with the first mentioned decoding bars andsaid additional decoding bar.

5. A decoding device having a column of reciprocable translatingelements, and a plurality of associated decoding bars settable in apredetermined manner to release one element of the column for eachsetting of the bars, which comprises a reciprocable frame yieldablysupporting said elements to reciprocate the released element, and meanson the frame and operated by the unreleased elements to positivelyengage said last mentioned means with the released element whereby thereleased element is positively advanced and held in advanced positionfor a desired operation.

6. A decoding device having a column of reciprocable translatingelements, and a plurality of associated decoding bars settable in apredetermined manner to release one element of the column for eachsetting of the bars, which comprises a reciprocable frame yieldablysupporting said elements to reciprocate the released element, a pivotedmeans on the frame, a projection on the elements, one end of the pivotedmeans adapted to be engaged and cammed by the unreleased elements uponmovement of the frame so asto engage the other end thereof with theprojection of the released element whereby the released element ispositively advanced and held in advanced position for a desiredoperation.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 1,863,098 Bovel June 14, 1932 2,185,260 Lasker Jan. 2, 19402,323,816 Lasker et al July 6, 1943 2,36 ,446 Hubbard Dec. 5, 1944

